Slayer [WS]

Director: Kevin VanHook Kevin VanHook

Overview

A secret U.S. military strike force battles a vampire infestation in the South American jungle in this action/horror film commissioned for the SciFi cable network. The top brass can't officially admit that vampires exist, but that doesn't stop Col. Jessica Weaver (Lynda Carter) from sending army commando Hawk (Casper Van Dien) and his team to the rain forest, where entire villages are being overrun by bloodsucking fiends. Things get even trickier when Hawk finds out that his ex-wife, Laurie (Jennifer O'Dell) -- who is also Col. Weaver's niece -- is in the same region conducting scientific research. Grieves (Kevin Grevioux), Hawk's right-hand man, soon gets enlisted into the ranks of the undead. But it's Laurie who unwittingly stumbles on the king of all vampires: Javier (Tony Plana), a seemingly mild-mannered nobleman whose secret history begins with the conquistadors and their quest for the fountain of youth. Slayer premiered July 8, 2006, on SciFi. Star Van Dien and writer/director Kevin VanHook previously teamed up for the 2005 horror film The Fallen Ones, while Van Dien and Grevioux are both veterans of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/21/2006
UPC:	0013138900081
Original Release:	2006
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:27:00
Sales rank:	58,615

Special Features

Widescreen presentation (1.78:1) enhanced for 16x9 Tvs; Audio commentary with director Kevin VanHook and star Casper Van Dien; Photo & concept art gallery; Script on DVD-ROM

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Casper Van Dien	Hawk
Jennifer O'Dell	Laurie
Alexis Cruz	Alex
Ray Park	Acrobatic Vampire Twins
Lynda Carter	Colonel Jessica Weaver
Merritt Bailey	Merritt
Ski Carr	Guillermo
Pablo Espinosa	Jimmy
Eddie J. Fernandez	Reyes
Joyce Giraud	Estrella
Kevin Grevioux	Grieves
Toby Holguin	Antony
Jim Morse	Starkings
Tony Plana	Javier
Daniel Puello	Gun Toting Kid
Danny Trejo	Montegna
Cameron VanHook	Javier Creature

Technical Credits

Kevin VanHook

Kevin VanHook	Director,Screenwriter
John W. Hyde	Producer

Editorial Reviews

Yet another low-rent outing from the SciFi cable network, this formulaic horror/action vehicle almost redeems itself with tongue-in-cheek casting and campy humor. The script, by writer/director Kevin VanHook, isn't without its share of clever ideas and serviceable set pieces. Yet VanHook and his cast settle for rote action and buddy-movie dialogue when they could have aimed for something a little sillier and more over-the-top. Looking like a poor man's Viggo Mortensen and smirking like a cut-rate Harrison Ford, Casper Van Dien demonstrates exactly why he's never become a bigger star. Meanwhile, co-star Kevin Grevioux (of Underworld fame) proves that big muscles and an incredibly deep voice obviate the need for actual acting. The sight of Lynda Carter in military regalia inspires a few twinges of Wonder Woman nostalgia but ultimately underscores the crucial ingredient Slayer is missing: the courage to embrace its own inherent cheesiness.